Rotary valve for explosive engines



R. c. Russsu.

ROTARY VALVE FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES May 4 1926. 1,583,260

Filed Jan. 22, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 M 34 Z/ 7" f6 2% 3/ I :2: I I: l Y

May 4 1926. 1,583,260

R. C. RUSSELL ROTARY VALVE FOR EXPLOSIVE miema s Filed Jan. 22- -125 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gnoe'n bow Patented May 4, 1926.

UNITED STA-res Romero; RUSSELL, oF LALLAS; TEXAS, nssrenonton army-one r33. GENT no WILLIAM Re ns, 01 DALLAS, TEXAS;

Rommvn-Lvn FOR nxrraosz'vn nnemnsz Application.fi1'ed JanuaryF22; 19252 Serial No. 3198 2.

To all. whom it may concern;

Be it known that. I=,. Bonner G. RUSSELL, a citizen of the; United States America, residing; at Dallas; in the county. of Dallas:

5 and; State of TeX-as have; invented certainnew anduseful; Improvements in Rotary Valves for'EXplosive Engines, of which-fiche following .isa: specification,

This invention relates to new and: usefulimprovements in rotary valves for-explosiveen ines;

i-he' object of the inyent-iom is to simplify the: construction of rotary valves for ex plosive engines as well as to increase the efliciency and reduoe the wear of suoh valves.-

In: all oi the: rotany valves, which have come: under my observation In have found certain fundamental difliculties suclr as extnemely accurate machine finished pants; very close fitting of component parts; ex-

cessive wear, sticking oi pants'due to un equal expansion; leakage from one cylinder to another; and intricate pants: expensive and diificult to I manufactures My; inventionlseeksw to ovencome" these ditficultiesbyso' designingthe valve that it will bepractically: floating: andfree fI OInSthG im-- pact of the explosions;- aswell as accomplishinga substantial reduction; of friction:-

r-Yn obj ect of the: invention is to provide simple meansfor proventingstlie leakage orbye-passing ot-oompression: or the exhaustgases. 7

Axfunther' object isto utilize? the carbon depositsto provide smoothv hearing: SUTfflCBS for the valve,,whereb.y a: funther' reduction: fzriotion is obtained and compression tightfits; ane'hadr V 'A-nothen object is t-orprovidea valve cas= ing: fully movable all directions:- with re lQtlOIIitWthG'IDOtOI head, the intake-manifold and: the exhaust manifold.

A: construction designedtovcarry out the invention will behereinafter described to.--- gethen with other features of: the; invention.

The invention will bemore readily under. stood: from a1 readin g. of the'following' specificationi and by' reference to the accompanying drawings, in which-' an example of the invent-ion is shown, and whereiniz I Riga 1: is a": longitudinal vertical sectional view of the upperend of: an engineequipped case 24? comprising; a--. central cylindrical;

with a; valve constructed; inaccordance with; my invention,

Fig; 2 is a'= horizontal cross-sectional? of the; same, v Fig. 3 is an; enlarged: transverse sectional; view talreniont'he line" 3+8 of Fig-Z 11,;and5

' Fig. t is a sectional detail of one of the valve cases and component parts;

In the drawings the numeral-i lO desi gnates the blockof an. explosive; engine-:- which is; il-r l'ustrat-ed asha'ving. four cylinders; butthis number may vary. On;theblockisifastened} a head: 11. The heads and: block; be, of 66 the usual type andthe water jacket and passageshaveheen omittedso asrtn Simpligtyj: the drawings At one ;.side and: aloove=the headifs disposed! an; intake manifold? 12-ha;v I mg for eaclncyl'i11der, a? lateral sleeve 1 3. On the opposite; side Ofy the heach is; eX -r; haust manifold 15- haiving; sleeves 14.?- directly: opposite the sleeve 13;

The head has overeachcylinden a: oin-: culanopening 16-o0nsiderahly lj'ess in diamfe:- 7 ten than thecyl-indem Alongitudinai tuba-.- l'ar valve-17 is-mounted overthe head: and. at its center issupported} in: abearinig boie 1:8. The ends of the valve: are closed and 7 provided with tminnions 1 9 and120," respeic' 80. tiv'ely, supported inbearing boxes; 21 It view v 1s to be; understood; that the Boxes} 18- and? 21-- maybe of any; suitable-construction and; may have ball or roller'bearings; iffdesinedl The trunnion: 20' has a; Sprocket 22" mounted thereon: driven by a sprocket" chain- 23; which? in; turn is driven by; a? suitable timing}. gean (not shown). j e

Qven each cylinder is a three -armed: vfalvei jacket 25; Fnorm oneside oi the; jacket? an; arm 26 ex ends; sa d jamn hav ng: aifiared neckpontio1n26 terminating in a? cylindrical: shank portion 2 3;; The neckwand shank: have a passage 28 which is'flared outwardly from the jacket'ina vertical plane (Fig; 3;) and converged outwardly from: the jacketa in; a honizo'ntal; plane ('Eigsr 2' and? 4)1 This; at fords an ample passage: fior' thefincoming gases; 7

On the opposite-side ofthejacket am amt 26 having neck 29-' and shank 30' like: the" pants 26 and 27* are: provided and" formed with" a passage 31: likethei passage: 28i

arm 32 depends from the jacket and has a stem portion 32 terminating in a cylindrical shank portion 33. The stem and shank have a downwardly flaring passage 34. The valve 17 has a sector cut out to form a gap or by-pass 35, said by-pass being separated from and closed against communication with the'bore of the valve by a wall 36.

The by-pass 35 is of such amplitude as to connect the intake passage 28 with the passage 34 or to connect the exhaust passage 31 with the passage 34. The valve at points during its rotation shuts off communication between these passages. The valvehas a close turning fit in the jacket which is bored smooth. Near each end the bore of the jacket has a plurality of closely spaced annular grooves 37. Longitudinal grooves 38 are provided in the bore-above and below the passages 28 and 31 and intersect at their ends with the innermost grooves 37. These grooves are small and are for the purpose of accumulating carbon deposits which provide bearing surfaces and take the wear of the rotation of the valve.

The shanks 27 30 and 33, each have a circumferential groove 39, angular in cross-section for receiving packing rings 40; ordinary piston rings having been used. The shank 27 fits in the sleeve 13 of the intake manifold 12 and the shank 30 fits in the sleeve 14 of the exhaust manifold; while the shank 33 fits the opening 16. The shanks are slightly less in diameter than the parts in-which they fit. The packing rings contact with the walls of the sleeves and the openings 16, which at these points may be machined if desired. The packing rings seal the joints and prevent leakage.

1 It will be'seen that the three-armed case 24 is substantially full floating, its arms being yieldingly supported by the rings 40, and may therefore move vertically, laterally or longitudinally or in any other direction. These rings, it will be observed serve the dual function of yielding supports and pack ing elements. The case being outside of the cylinder and above the head is not subject to the extreme heat present in the cylinder. It has been found that the packing ring joints are very effective and prevent leakage but permit a free movement ofthe valve case. The'grooves 38 assist in building up carbon deposits which provide compression-tight engagement between the valve and the bore of the case.

In operation the valve is timed to admit the firing charges into cylinders through the passages 28 at the proper time; also to cut off the exhaust passages 31 during the compression and explosive strokes and to permit the escape of exhaust gases during the scavenging stroke. The bottom of the shank 33 being exposed to the compression and explosion takes the impact and thrust together with the valve 17 whereby a balance is effected which prevents excessive pressure on the valve and consequently undue wear on the valve. The proportions may be such as to relatively tend to move the case upwardly and compensate for any upward distortion of the valve, due to the pressure from the charge either under compression or when exploding.

It is not practical to lubricate a rotary valve of this type except by supplying oil with the fuel charge, and the full floating case affords such compensation as will tend to reduce wear to a minimum. The carbon grooves or other means for collecting carbon is very important because the parts may be made comparatively loose for the reason that the carbon soon deposits and forms a close fit and a wearing surface superior to that of metal. This precludes the necessity of extremely accurate machining and makes for simple and comparatively inexpensive manufacture. It is highly desirable to so proportion the parts that they will balance, because on the down stroke of the piston there is a tendency to pull the case down and upon the up stroke the case is forced upward. Upon the explosion of the fuel charge there is a re-action in the case 24 which tends to move it down as well as up, hence the necessity of balancing.

Various changes in the size and shape of the various parts as well as modifications and alterations may be made within the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim, is:

1. In an engine, a cylinder, an intake manifold, an exhaust manifold, said cylinder and manifolds having openings, a rotary valve, and .a three-armed case enclosing the rotary valve, said arms being hollow and forming passages connecting the valve case with the openings of the cylinder and manifolds, said arms being yieldably supported in the openings to .adapt the valve and case to have a universal floating action.

2. In an engine, a cylinder having an opening in its top, intake and exhaust manifolds arranged-above the cylinder .and at opposite sides thereof and having opposed openings in their inner walls, a rotary valve disposed above the cylinder and between the manifolds, and a three-armed case enclosing the valve, the arms of said case being hollow and seated in said openings and forming passages between the cylinder, manifolds and case, said arms being yieldably mounted in said openings to support the valve and case for a universal floating action.

- I 3. In an engine, a cylinder having an open ing in its top, intake and exhaust manifolds arranged above the plane of the cylinder and on opposite sides of the vertical center thereof and provided with alined openings in the opposed walls thereof, a rotary valve disposed above the cylinder and between the manifolds and a cylindrical casing enclosing the vaive and provided with three radial arms projecting at angles of 90 therefrom, said arms being seated in the openings in the cylinder and manifolds and forming passages between the same and the valve case, and means resiliently supporting the arms in the openings to adapt the valve and valve ease to have a universal floating action.

4. In an engine, a cylinder having an opening therein, intake and exhaust manifolds provided with openings, a rotary valve, a case enclosing the valve and provided with radial arms forming passages and extending into the openings in the cylinder and manifolds, said arms being provided with external grooves andspring packing rings seated in said grooves and engaging the walls of the openings to form backing members, and cushioning supports adapting the valve and valve case to have a universal floating action.

5. In an engine, a cylinder having an opening, intake and exhaust manifolds having openings, a rotary valve, and a case enclos ing the valve and provided with three integral hollow arms arranged at angles of 90 to each other, said arms being yieldably supported in the openings to adapt the valve and valve case to have a universal floating action, each arm having a passage flaring outwardly from the case in a vertical plane from end to end thereof and converging outwardly from the case in a horizontal plane from end to end thereof.

6. In an explosive engine, the combination of a cylinder having an inlet at its top, an intake manifold sleeve, an exhaust manifold sleeve, said sleeve being disposed on opposite sides of the cylinder, a valve over the cylinder opening and between the .sleeves, a valve casesurrounding the valve and having arms provided with passages and loosely engaged in the cylinder openings and the sleeves, and spring packing rings surrounding the arms and engaging in the cylinder inlet and sleeves and yieldingly supporting the arms thereon.

7. As a sub-combination in an explosive engine, a unitary structure comprising a valve case in the form of a cylindrical jacket having radial arms projecting therefrom, said arms being provided with passages.

8. As a subcombination in an explosive engine, a valve case having three radial arms, each provided with a passage, each passage communicating with the interior of the valve case.

9. As a sub-combination in an explosive engine, a valve case having radial arms on each side, cylindrical shanks on the outer ends of the arms, and an arm depending from the case and having a cylindrical shank on its lower end, the arms having radial passages extend-ing therethrough and communicating with the case.

10. In an engine, a cylinder having an opening therein, intake and exhaust manifolds provided with openings, a rotary valve, a case enclosing the valve and provided with radial arms forming passages and extending into the openings in the cylinder and manifolds, said arms being loosely fitted in said openings and normally spaced at all points from the walls of the openings, .and cushioning supports in the spaces between thearms and walls of the openings closing said spaces and adapting the valve,

and valve case to have a universal floating .action.

11. In an explosive engine, the combination of a block having a plurality of cylinders, each having an inlet at its top, an intake manifold on one side of the block, an exhaust manifold on the other side of the block, .a rotary valve extending longitudinally of the block between the manifolds, a plurality of three-armed valve cases surrounding the valve, a case being disposed over each cylinder and each having radial arms engaging in the inlet of the cylinder and the manifolds, the cases being movable in all directions independently of the block and manifolds, and yielding means for supporting said arms and making leakproof joints between the arms and the walls of the openings in the cylinder and manifolds with which they engage.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

ROBERT C. RUSSELL. 

